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By: Brian Whitaker
Iran reported a further huge increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on Monday. The official figure now stands at 1,501, with 66 deaths so far, though the official figures are disputed. On Tuesday, local media reported that 23 members of Iran's parliament are among those… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
There's good news from Iran – at least, according to health ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour. On Sunday he announced that Iran has "been able to cure" more coronavirus patients than another other country apart from China. Meanwhile, Iran's health minister has written to Supreme Leader… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Amid accusations that Iran is trying to conceal the full scale of its coronavirus epidemic, the health ministry revised its statistics upwards on Saturday. The official tally of COVID-19 cases is now 593 – an increase of 205 on Friday's figure. Iran's official death toll has also been revised from… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Iran announced on Friday that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 388, with 34 deaths so far (among a population of more than 80 million). These official figures are widely disbelieved and it's likely the actual totals are much higher. One problem is that the number of… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Thirteen new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Middle East since Thursday's update – six in the UAE, two each in Oman and Kuwait, and one each in Iraq, Israel and Lebanon. The latest tally is below, and this may be updated in the light of developments during the course of the day. Iran,… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Twenty-five new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arab countries since Wednesday's update – 17 in Kuwait, seven in Bahrain and one in Iraq. The latest tally of cases in the Middle East region is below, and this may be updated in the light of developments during the course of the day. Iran,… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Twenty-three new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arab countries since yesterday's report, and Algeria is a newcomer to the list. Excluding Iran (where details are very confused), the latest tally of cases in the rest of the Middle East region is as follows: Algeria 1 (+1) Bahrain 26 (+3)… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Coronavirus cases have now been reported in nine countries in the Middle East. The outbreak in Iran is clearly the most serious in the region, and it may be more extensive than the official figures suggest. Elsewhere in the region the number of cases is small and no deaths have been reported so far… Read more
A 27-year-old Egyptian rights activist was detained on arrival at Cairo airport on Friday and now faces multiple charges: Publishing rumours and false news intended to disturb social peace and sow chaos. Incitement to protest without permission from the relevant authorities with the aim of… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
The war in Yemen is complicated and it can be difficult to keep track of what's happening on the ground, not to mention the related peace efforts. A new report from the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies is a useful starting point for anyone wanting a quick catch-up – well, relatively… Read more